The Director of Research will be a pivotal member of Campaign Zero’s (CZ) Research & Data (R&D) team, providing high-level thought partnership and day-to-day operational management (i.e. Special Assistant role). The ideal candidate will have deep expertise in research methodologies, data product management, and a comprehensive understanding of the criminal legal system. This role will also involve supervising and building research staff capacity to complete R&D products and responsibilities.

Description

DAY-TO-DAY

Manage Research Projects & Staff: Lead and coordinate daily operations for ongoing research projects, including team meetings, progress tracking, and stakeholder communications. Supervise and develop research staff to ensure project success.
Research Data Product Management: Ensure the timely update and management of data products, working closely with the Director of Data Science and Engineering.
Oversight of Research Partnerships: Provide oversight of research partnerships and manage the Safety Research Panel to align stakeholder insights with research outputs.
Respond to Ad-Hoc Needs: Manage and support staff conducting quick-turnaround data analyses and reports for CZ Campaigns, ensuring Campaign Zero’s adaptability.
Support Strategy & Grants: Contribute to R&D strategy development, support grant proposals, and ensure scalable planning for long-term projects.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Product & Project Management

Supervise and guide the lifecycle management of research projects and products, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and fostering an environment that promotes collaborative development and problem resolution.

Campaigns Research Project Management (Kat): Collaborate with teams to manage data lifecycle and ensure robust methodology across campaign phases.
Research Product Management (TBD): Oversee the development and execution of research products to align with Campaign Zero’s strategic goals.
Research Ad-Hoc/Rapid-Response: Lead urgent research initiatives to address immediate and critical needs within the organization.

Campaigns Research

Lead the oversight and development of research methodologies and data structuring, enhancing the integrity and usability of data across all Campaign Zero’s initiatives.

Data Governance: Ensure the integrity and security of all research data throughout its use in campaigns.
Research Methods & Review: Evaluate and refine research methods to maintain high research quality standards.
Data Structuring: Organize and prepare data for efficient analysis and reporting.
Research Instrument Development & Application: Create and implement tools for data collection and analysis to support campaign objectives.

Partnerships & Special Projects

Oversee strategic partnerships and manage special research projects, including the Safety Research Panel, to broaden the scope and impact of Campaign Zero’s research efforts.

Safety Research Panel: Manage the Safety Research Panel to ensure adherence to ethical standards and research integrity.
Research Capacity Building: Develop and facilitate training to enhance the research capabilities of CZ staff.
Research Partner Campaigns: Coordinate and manage partner-driven research projects, focusing on qualitative methodologies.

REQUIREMENTS

2-5 years of experience in research operations management and supervision of research staff in applied research environments
Strong project management skills, with experience using project management software
Track record with excellent organizational and time management skills, with the ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously and meet tight deadlines
Extensive knowledge of the criminal legal space, including key research, data sources, and current justice and policy issues.
Strong familiarity with mixed social science research methods and background in training research capacity across research and non-research staff
Experience and background with statistical programming and data cleaning software or languages such as R, Stata, SPSS, Python, SQL, etc.

PREFERRED

Experience with product management frameworks (i.e., Agile) and managing research projects across multiple domains
5+ years of experience with criminal legal research and data
Training and certification in management and/or project management
Understanding and skills in the building of the technical aspects of digital research operations, including basic knowledge of data dashboards
Familiarity with Asana, Airtable, Notion, Python, R, Snowflake, GSuite, and/or Azure.

Salary

$130,000 - $130,000 per year